This is my blog section. This is for subject relating to my radio shows, music film, book, interview, guests and whatever else i happen to think of off the top of my head

Thursday, 15 November 2012

Music i like

I love music, Rock, pop, soul, drum & bass, god know how many other style and sounds. One of the best albums i have heard in the past year has been Rattlin Bone, great swamp Blues. Another artists is Vinnie Zummo from American, and probably one of the very people that got me to like Country, as in the old fashioned country. These sound make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I like music from the 30s right through to now, some awsome music around and i am hearing new stuff every time.
Over the past 10 years, music and musicians has seen a vast change in the industry, not all through lack of sales either, which i think the press would make you believe

Its not the making money that ruins music or various formats, its what ruins, creativity, imagination just plan great sounds buy producing utter crap music.

Sometimes, i wonder, is it because i am 20 years older then when i listened to the top 40 back in the early 90s. I then go to youtube, listen to music or what i have in my collection and the answer is no, my taste is still as broad as it every was, Its the utter mindless crap that gets produced that squashes the real musicians who are trying to earn a living...yes, thats right, their crafts people like carpenters

There are a few things that matter with music, a good recordings, an original idea, good writing and just musicians that communicate with fans and that whats grabs my attention and why a like a lot of independent music

I got into radio to listen to all kind of music, meet other musicians and promote any way i can with a zero budget and i have a real nack of interviewing, which i have great feedback from, from musicians and listeners who have been suprised. I buy music and get music to promote, which i have :)

In the early days i listened to my parients collection which was, The Beatles on one side and The Rolling stones on the other, which i thought later on was amusing.

Later on, i got hooked onto the drug induced music geniuses of their time. The Doors, Floyd, Hendrix, the stuff that i always thought my parients missed out on, which i found strange, i don't know why as they lived through the era.

Later on, i found out about radio presenter, John Peel on radio one, one of the most famous for playing just about any type of music that as not factory pressed. I thought my music taste was broad, but, no that opened the floadgates. That was it, thats what kicked my music into 5th gear in, seriously

Eclectic music, is the art form of music, no two ways about it. I like pop music, always have done, always will, but the bone structure of music is the artist.

Over the last few years, music has really gone through a mindbending change and the tape has been rewind 60 years.

Before Rock n Roll, there was Classical and Opera, where all the whitecoats controled the music. That is until Radio Caroline hit and transformed the world, well at least, England. That being the said, the music from the early 50s right thought to i would says the mid 70s i all studio thats used to record Classic and Opera music, reason for much of the music from the period being so well recorded. Radio Caroline, transformed the the lives of mainly people in England, because at the time, we only heard what they wanted you to hear . RC, may have lost the battle in the 60's by the goverments stupidity, but music lives on. Today we are going through kind of thing, gain, only this time its the battle the underground against, lets face it utter crap pop though TV music and contests.
A musician said to me recently, its the underground stations that keeps music going.

What has shocked me over the past year is the shear incompetence of huge record labels that have gone burning down. This is not through sales but constant buyouts of other companies. More recently was a label / distributer, were stupid enough to not pay a huge bill and again, not due to lack of sales. When i was reading up about EMI for example, seriously, the most well known music company everyones heard, crashed and burned, what a bunch of idiots, i couldn't believe it i was pretty shocked

X factor.

The Kyptonite of music

I saw that typed on Facebook, thought was funny,lol

My assumption for the creation of the X factor was a new form of music contest. The term X factor was not just created for the show, its an actual term. You can have a band that are good, but for some reason, there is something missing, get another and they get a reaction out of you within seconds, thats the X factor, of many people liking the same band, who feel something. Not because a woman fancies the lead singer or lead women in the band is hot( That goes on way too much), but they like the song. Now, this is a great TV, for a while, not saying its not a bad idea, the only problem here is not many are talented people that go on there and really makes bad TV and must embarrass many people. Yes, if you can get on stage and don't muck up, thats good, but then you are only on stage 2 minutes and sing a cover you have been practising in the bathroom, thats not talent. If you were performing at a concert it would be reaching two hours and if you can handle that, thats a talent in itself. Not many people can take the stress of being thrown around like a rag doll, and yes you are. Its emense hard work and i would asume that they record covers is far less risky than someone singing their own song on stage. What would happen if that actually happened, would the label contracted to sign the winner be too scared to have sales, probably as many can't write. Also great classics are ruined by being recycled by wannabes who have not got a single note in their body, its scandlous in many cases.

There have been many talent contests over the years, trouble is many people like seeing an underdog win and of course the show has done deals with labels, reason why labels are struggling in the first place.
One of the labels that i respect and never got involved with this rubbish, is Mute Records. Been going for many years and many signed and do well, so whats the idea with rubbish talent on TV winning contracts. Many might say, oh look at her shes famous, well yes, but she was a major undergod, who had to recorded two albums of covers before she began to record her own material, that of course is with writers. Could she actually write her own music to start with?. I can understand why many complain about the X factor, is just TV plastic, nothing more.

The musician show battle against the tide of crap

In terms of modern music, i have heard far superior recordings. from musicians, solo artists song writers in the past 6 years from Independent and underground than anything the X factor has produced. I am not just talking about Dark music, like Drum and bass, happy Hardcore and rap, i am talking about many different sounds from many countries, which, until the internet came along, you never really got a chance to hear. X factors consists of pop music, which is turned into a Karaoke contest for TV. I love pop music, which is short for popular, then listen to the music on the internet, which is where the talent is

The other side of the coin with TV music, its making money,....well, that not true either

Many people say, its what sells, Well about 95% of artists that win or come second or 3rd place on contacts, get signed, disappear in the first 6 months to a year, i don't call that success, its a big con. I feel sorry for some people with talent who go on there to win a contract. I don't blame people for trying but many want a quick fix and its not going to happen.
The other reason for not liking this contest, is no original material is used or a mixture of people coming along with their own song and the odd cover. If you have good voice, can play an instrument well, yes someone at some point is going to pick up a cover, but create your own. Yes, your going be influenced, but create your own from that. Don't ripp the artists who spent years creating something thats just gold.
I love music, i do not like recycled rubbish

Crap quality music

I like quality recordings, but i am not a huge fan of digital music. Different formats come and go and some stay. I don't mind any format music comes in as long as it doe not ruined the music

Since the human race found a way to record music onto something, digital music is the most recent. The only major problem is compression and tampering.
I know music is on CDs are compressed, but at least you have an album on CD that can't be altered. A vinyl is on a 12" piece of plastic and music on a CD is a 5" in piece of plastic. Cds may sound clean, but the second most compressed format in history.
A song in mp3 is like chopping a widescreen film to pan and scan, then again, your not getting the sound that was recorded into the studio. Wav, which most, if not all musicians use to record their music in, where in the studio is the closest to what you want to hear. Wav is uncompressed, you get the quality of all the instruments, you favourite singer, in that song. Wav is the closest to live in a studio

Mp3s have their place, go to promote and distribute but not to sell if you want to give fans the sound they want to hear. I know musicans create music they want to listen to but many like it as well. In general the mp3 format is the worst in history. Also, digital music will not gain value either, its is worth nothing. Other than merchanside, vinyl and CDS which will gain value, they always will.

Choice

I like to have choice. I prefer to buy a CD or a vinyl, than an mp3, because i am fan of real music. I sometimes buy the t- shirt or hoody if i like the band that much and support them and on occasion see live. I have noticed ever since mp3 got popular, the choice you can choose to hear music have been reduced, Not many bands, unless their on label like music have their songs on CD, vinyl and mp3s. Yes it costs money to press, but yet if you want the fans, like me to have more choice, then you give them what they want. After all, their ones buying your music

Usually, if i can't buy a vinyl, i get a CD and if i can't get the CD i usually wait. I don't like being forced to only buy an mp3 from a band, because they say it cheaper. Music, like i said above is a craft, and at some point it turns into a business, that means, you have to put money into it and get it back

Your favourite bands are crafts people
Say, you have just discovered a band, i do all the time, and you think, oh i can get that for free off a torrent. Why would you do that to someone who has created something? a musicians has a tool, called an instrument, like tool a carpenter has or a mechanic fixing your car, they are on this planet to make a living. Musicians are no different. Many people have been on about this, especially on social media. I like many bands, i went to see American Rock band Soil last year, we got vip tickets, but we paid for train and the hotel to stay overnight and we would have bought a hoody, but there were not online and did not have the money at the gig, otherwise i would have Soil hoody :)
Also the band are always online because without fans they would not be around. That being said they have made an effort and have been on the scene 17 years
The internet is always going to be good and bad for music. I don't like it when i can't find a CD from a band or clothes that i want to buy. I do get free music from bands because i promote them on radio, but i do buy as well

About Me

My name is Paul Readman, Aka DJ Readmans, with the umbrella name, Radio Variety Show. I live in Banbury, always loved music, which is vaery eclectic. I love music and have a good radio voice. This is the reason why i continue to broadcast a weekly live stream on internet station, Music World Radio. My main two promotions are the live radio and filming artists. I have been broadcasting in a presenter format for 6 years. Before that i was a drum & BAss two deck DJ, played locally and nationally for a limited time. This is all non profit,l but i take donations as people have done and know i do a good job in promoting artists. Artists get something out of it as well, which is always good